Scottish English voice overs: what you need to know

Scotland is part of the United Kingdom. Scottish English is the majority language, spoken by 99% of the population.

Don’t confuse Scottish English with Scots though – this is a separate variant of English spoken by 30% of Scottish citizens. Scottish Gaelic is an indigenous minority language belonging to the Celtic family, spoken by 1% of people. The Scottish population stands at 5.4 million people.

Language History

The influence of the English language in Scotland started with two main events. One was the introduction of the printing press in the 15th century and the distribution of printed Bibles and religious literature.

In 1603, the Tudor era in England ended. King James I became monarch in London – but he was already King James VI of Scotland. The Stuart dynasty continued to rule both separate countries until the Act of the Union in 1707. This brought in one parliament for both nations, based in Westminster.

Close Relations

Despite a joint parliament, the Scottish church, education, and legal institutions remained separate from England. This was a big factor in the development of uniquely Scottish English.

Scottish English is strongly influenced by Scots, particularly when it comes to spoken language. English is a member of the Germanic language family. The Scandinavian influence can be felt in common Scottish words such ‘bairn’ (child) and ‘kirk’ (church).

Highland English is more strongly influenced by Scottish Gaelic than the language of the Lowlands.

Accents and Voice Over Tips

Standard Scottish English (SSE) is used by the professional class in Scotland. It’s also taught in all Scottish schools and educational institutions.

Accents and dialects are influenced both by the region and the social class of the speaker. Inflections and pronunciation vary between the Highlands and the Lowlands of Scotland. This means that the North and Northeast regions can sound different from the Southern and Western areas.

The major cities such as Glasgow have their own distinctive sounds. Scottish tones are also popular in the rest of the UK, as shown regularly through surveys on accents.

Words per minute

The average speaking rate for Scottish English is 150 words per minute. However, please bear in mind that this is only a rough guide. When creating your script, consider that context, audience, and information density all play a role.

This might mean slowing things down for children. Or giving people enough time to digest complex information. The emotion your character is feeling will also affect the rate of speech.

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